2-53. The ESC provides mission command of sustainment units in designated areas of a theater. At the theater echelon, one or more ESC’s may be attached to a TSC. An ESC may also be attached to the field Army and one assigned to the corps to act as the headquarters for the integration and synchronization of sustainment at those echelons. The ESC plans, prepares, executes, and assesses sustainment, distribution, theater opening, and reception, staging, and onward movement operations for Army forces in theater. It normally deploys when the TSC determines that a forward command presence is required. This capability provides the TSC commander with the regional focus necessary to provide effective operational-level support to Army or joint task force missions. Figure 2-3 depicts a notional AOR command and control structure of sustainment forces. See ATP 4-94 for additional information on the ESC.

music headquarters – The mission command element of a music performance unit. Also called MHQ. (ATP 1-19)

1-18. Army leaders exercise mission command. Table 1-1 shows the linkage between the principles of mission command and the competencies and attributes of Army leaders in the leadership requirements model. Leader development activities must maintain the vision of developing leaders to execute mission command.

6-43. Corps and division commanders disperse mission command nodes and support capabilities in the support and consolidation areas to avoid providing lucrative targets for the enemy. They establish redundancy to the maximum extent possible, but they must balance both dispersion and redundancy against potential losses in effectiveness. While dispersion may provide protection against long range fires, it potentially makes defending against other threats, like irregular forces or SOF, more difficult.

3-9. Sustainment commanders must understand the application of mission command in executing command and control. Sustainment commanders use command in exercising authority and responsibility for the using available assets and resources for organizing, directing, and coordinating forces in executing missions. Resident in command is control. Sustainment staffs support their commanders by receiving communications and providing feedback that allows sustainment commanders to provide direction while coordinating and synchronizing support actions. Mission command is the Army’s approach to command and control and allows subordinates to make operational decisions needed to achieve the commander’s intent as conditions change. It provides sustainment leaders with the ability to anticipate and improvise methods for providing support based on the tactical situation.

4-49. Effective commanders use technology to enable a mission command approach to command and control, not to micromanage operations. Equipment that improves the ability to monitor the situation at lower levels increases the temptation to directly control subordinates’ actions and thereby undermine mission command. Moreover, such use tends to fix the higher echelon commander’s attention at too low a level. Commanders who focus at too low a level risk losing sight of the larger overall picture. Consequently, increased network capabilities bring the need for increased understanding and discipline. Just because technology allows detailed supervision does not mean commanders should employ it in that manner. Effective mission command requires senior commanders to give the on-scene commander freedom to exercise initiative.

2-118. Staffs support commanders in the exercise of mission command by performing four primary mission command warfighting function tasks. The staff tasks are—

2-165. Commanders organize their staffs and other components of the mission command system into command posts (CPs) to assist them in effectively conducting the operations process. A command post is a unit headquarters where the commander and staff perform their activities (FM 6-0).

2-297. Employing D3SOE may hamper mission command, maneuver, fires, intelligence, protection, security, and information operations. Unit training and staff exercises must regularly include a D3SOE. Repetitive training in D3SOE conditions is essential for all units to become competent while operating with reduced space-based capabilities.

2-8. In addition to the mission command staff tasks, each staff element has specific duties and responsibilities by area of expertise. However, all staff sections share a set of common duties and responsibilities:

1-1. Understanding the doctrine on mission command and the operations process requires an appreciation of the nature of operations and the Army’s vision of war. It is upon this appreciation that mission command— an approach to the exercise of command and control—is built. The principles of mission command guide commanders and staffs in planning, preparing, executing, and assessing operations.

1-108. The fundamental basis of mission command is tactically and technically competent commanders and subordinates with a shared understanding of purpose who can be trusted to make ethical and effective decisions in the absence of further guidance. This allows commanders to focus on their intent, and it allows staffs to generate the mission orders essential to decentralized execution. Subordinates are empowered to decide when to adapt their assigned tasks to achieve the overall purpose of an operation. This requires commanders to accept risk on their subordinates’ behalf and subordinates to assume responsibility for the initiative necessary for success.

2-54. The theater engineer command is designed to mission command engineer capabilities for all assigned or attached engineer brigades and other engineer units and missions for the joint force land component or theater Army commander. It is the only organization designed to do so without augmentation and can provide the joint force commander with an operational engineer headquarters or augment an engineer staff for a joint task force. The theater engineer command is focused on operational-level engineer support across all three of the engineer disciplines and typically serves as the senior engineer headquarters for a theater Army, land component headquarters, or potentially a joint task force. (See FM 3-34.)

2-277. Adversaries and enemies will target mission command systems and processes. Units must adapt their mission command systems and processes to the realities of fighting peer threats. Conditions in large-scale combat operations require the smallest possible physical and electronic signature and the highest possible level of agility. Leaders need to be able to command their formations when communication networks are disrupted, while on the move, and without perfect situational awareness. Training to become proficient in the use of analog data tracking systems, voice communications, and unaided navigation techniques requires significant amounts of repetition, particularly when integrating all of the elements of combat power. Habitual relationships, practiced standard operating procedures, and the use of battle drills can mitigate some of the risk and friction inherent in lost situational awareness.

1-48. SOPs that assist with effective mission command serve two purposes. Internal SOPs standardize each CP’s internal operations and administration. External SOPs developed for the entire force standardize interactions among CPs and between subordinate units and CPs. Effective SOPs require that all Soldiers know their duties and train to standards. (See FM 7-15 for more information on the tasks of command post operations.)

4-189. Army forces still apply the mission command principle of disciplined initiative, which encourages action at the tactical level within the boundaries of commander's intent, prudent risk, and the law. In DSCA, however, the law includes state and federal law governing domestic operations. Individual initiative is likely to involve recommending actions through the chain of command or helping individuals find the correct civil authority with which to place a request.

2-119. Six additional tasks reside within the mission command warfighting function. These tasks are—

2-121. The Army’s framework for exercising mission command is the operations process—the major mission command activities performed during operations: planning, preparing, executing, and continuously assessing the operation (ADP 5-0). The operations process is a commander-led activity, informed by the philosophy of mission command. Commanders, supported by their staffs, use the operations process to drive the conceptual and detailed planning necessary to understand, visualize, and describe their operational environment; make and articulate decisions; and direct, lead, and assess operations. Figure 2-7 shows the operations process with the commander at the center leading the process.

7-8. The Army’s framework for exercising mission command is the operations process. The major mission command activities performed during the conduct of offensive tasks are planning, preparing, executing and continuously assessing the operation. The offense keeps the enemy off balance, exploits positions of relative advantage, and continuously reduces the enemy commander’s options across all domains and the information environment. Planning results in a plan and orders that synchronize the action of forces in time, space, and purpose to achieve objectives and accomplish missions. (See ADRP 5-0 for a discussion of planning.)

1-31. Mutual trust is essential to successful mission command, and it must flow throughout the chain of command. Subordinates are more willing to exercise initiative when they believe their commander trusts them. They will also be more willing to exercise initiative if they believe their commander will accept and support the outcome of their decisions. Likewise, commanders delegate greater authority to subordinates who have demonstrated tactical and technical competency and whose judgment they trust.